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THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED.
Please stay tuned for a possible reschedule in the near future. Email nicole.elmer[at]austin.utexas.edu if you have any questions
With more than a million described species, the Class Insecta is the most species-rich group of multicellular organisms on Earth; insects can be found in virtually all habitats on the planet. Multiple studies have documented dramatic declines in local insect biomass and species numbers, suggesting that the spectacular diversity of insects that has characterized life on Earth for millions of years might be at risk. The magnitude of declines and the groups most at risk remain subjects for discussion, as are the possible causes, among the many candidates of which are habitat loss, agricultural intensification, invasive species, and climate change. There is consensus, though, that decline matters, because insects provide irreplaceable ecosystem services for the rest of terrestrial life, mostly without causing trouble for people; these services include food provisioning, nutrient cycling, soil formation, water purification, and pollination of flowering plants, more than 75% percent of which depend on insects to reproduce. Truth be told, while insects would be better off without us, our species just couldn’t survive on a planet bereft of insects. Protecting insects has only recently become a society-wide concern and mobilizing people to support this effort is a new challenge. One first step might be an “inaction plan”—convincing people to stop doing the things that make little economic or environmental sense in the first place but that hurt the six-legged service-providers that keep the planet running.
